I Think I Love You
by Utsukushii Ryu
Summary: Vincent is plagued by unrequited love. An unexpected night with a certain blonde exSOLDIER sends his mind realing...but what of his heart? Shounen ai yaoiish VxC It really is just PG13, but I'll rate it M just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

Hey, everyone. I'm back and no, I didn't die. I was attacked once again—and just as ruthlessly—by writer's block. Not only that…I've been incredibly busy; very much so. So many things have happened, and yet…it feels like nothing at the same time. Odd, isn't it?

Anyway, I wasn't planning on writing any yaoi until 4 years later, but…well…a friend requested this. So, I agreed to. But, it's not completely yaoi, as in _no lemon_. Sorry if you were expecting one. It's still strictly shounen ai, but there is…-coughs-…_some_ "action".

Because of how this was written, it took much thinking over for me to finally decide on a title. If you don't completely agree with it, just tell me so and suggest a "better" title. I'll think it over and will change it if I agree with you. I greatly appreciate it.

Anyway, here are the basics and then the actual story.

**Title**: The Sweetest Temptation for a Forlorn Love  
**Rating**: PG-13 at the least, M at the most.  
**Pairing**: VincentxCloud  
**Warning(s)**: Shounen ai; hints of yaoi; Boy x Boy love; slight OOCness; fluffiness; etc. If you don't like anything listed here, then **please turn back now**.

* * *

Vincent walked into the bedroom, grumbling under his breath about how unbearably cold it was. He glanced up and stopped in his tracks, his crimson eyes widening in surprise as he took in the enticing scene before him. 

Seated upon his bed in the far corner of the room was Cloud. Dressed in nothing but a pair of unbuttoned and loosely fitting pair of faded jeans that seemed to hug yet barely rest on his thin hips all at the same time, he sat with one leg resting upon his bed and the other dangling off the side, a thick red, leather bound book resting on his lap. His spiky blonde hair was still slightly damp from the shower he had taken earlier that day; a few strands caressed his cheek like a lover's touch, causing a sudden unpleasant stirring of jealousy to curl in Vincent's gut.

A shudder passed through his lithe body, and he knew for a fact the cold was not the cause of it this time. Suppressing a groan—mourning the curse of being able to look but not touch—he sat down on his own bed, situated only a few feet away from Cloud's.

Bright blue eyes infused with Mako glanced up from the book at him, curious and amused. Vincent looked away as he lay down, goose bumps jumping up from his skin the moment he made contact with the cool bed sheets. At this point, he wasn't sure if it was because of the cool air or the feel of those eyes upon him.

Desperate to break the uncomfortable—at least for him—silence, he uttered the first thing that came to mind:

"It's too damn _cold_!" Afterwards, he mentally slapped himself for saying something so idiotic.

Cloud raised an eyebrow at the statement, tilting his slightly as he gazed at the ex-Turk across from him, his book momentarily forgotten.

"I'm sitting here by the window in only my pants," he said, noting the quick flash of crimson eyes as they gazed at him before looking elsewhere, "and it's snowing outside. I'm fine. Suck it up."

"…Yeah? Well I'm lying here in only my boxers!" retorted Vincent, staring determinedly at the ceiling.

"I'm well aware of that… Mind if I ask why?" Vincent hesitated.

"…Yuffie thought it would be fun if she raided my drawers and stole my pants," he replied finally, wincing slightly at the unmistakable sound of the blonde attempting to stifle his laughter. "…She has yet to return them, as you can obviously see."

"Oh, I see, alright."

Vincent blinked, surprised. Something about the tone Cloud had used—deeper than normal, husky even—as he said those four words alerted him, but to what he wasn't sure; even so, the resulting shivers were delicious. He gripped his bed sheets, gritting his teeth against a moan. He wondered how anyone could have such an affect on him as his gaze moved from the ceiling overhead to meet the impossibly blue orbs of his companion. Only, they didn't linger; they trailed down towards rosy lips, a slender neck, slight shoulders, firm stomach… Lower and lower his gaze trailed until they were halted by his roommate's jeans. His roommate's _unbuttoned_ jeans.

Biting back a curse, Vincent ventured to look away only to stop when Cloud shifted in his seat. Vincent looked up and saw nervous confusion shining in his friend's eyes. Then, suddenly, the confusion was replaced by recognition and understanding. Panic welled up in his chest; he began hoping he was wrong, hoping that Cloud had not understood the look he had given, hoping that Cloud would not reject him and throw him out.

Cloud sat completely still, as if deciding what to do with his newfound knowledge, before leaning back against the headboard; stretching his legs out before him as a lazy smile graced his features, his book all but forgotten, he gazed at the dark haired gunman with lidded eyes. Vincent nervously sat back up, eyeing Cloud warily.

"…Don't look at me like that. Do I have to take drastic measures on you, Cloud?" he asked, his tone as calm as he could manage. Cloud raised an eyebrow at this.

"What ever are you talking about, Vin?" he said huskily, causing another shiver to race down the Vampire's spine. "I'm not doing a thing." Vincent gritted his teeth

"That's it! You've forced my hand, you sadistic blonde!" He had just managed to rise three inches from his bed when Cloud spoke again.

"Sadistic, am I? Really?" he asked, pouting slightly. Vincent fell ungraciously back onto his bed, stunned. "Then I suppose I've been a bad boy, haven't I?"

"…Yes you have." His statement had come out sounding like a question. Vincent found his throat had suddenly gone dry, and no matter how much he swallowed he couldn't seem to moisten it again. He watched as Cloud slowly pulled himself up from his bed, letting the red book to fall off his lap and land closed upon his mattress.

"…Really? How bad have I been, hmm…?"

"…Very bad," replied the Vampire, confused about the other's actions and wishing for him to continue. Cloud's eyes were swimming, filled with a heat he couldn't seem to comprehend; and they were locked on his as the blonde mercenary slowly got to his knees, his lips curling into a small, coy smile.

"I've been very bad…?" The smile turned back into a pout as he slowly made his way over towards Vincent's bed with all the grace of a cat: sinuous, beautiful, and utterly seductive. "Then that means…" he reached his target then, and straightened to lean in, careful not to touch, breathing softly against the rigid brunette's neck as he whispered, "…I have to be punished, doesn't it…?"

Vincent's breathing became irregular, despite his attempts at calming them. He could feel his former leader's heat mingling with his own, so teasingly close yet not satisfactory; Cloud's hot breath caressed his neck, cooling the skin yet undeniably warming it. It wasn't enough; he wanted—_needed_—contact.

He opened his mouth to reply and found that he couldn't. He swallowed and tried again.

"…Y-yes." What happened next made him swear his heart had stopped: Cloud had leaned even further in, though still refusing to touch the ex-Turk's heated skin, whimpering softly as he nuzzled Vincent's neck.

"Do I really have to be punished…? Have I really been that bad?"

"Yes you have," Vincent said again, with more conviction. He couldn't believe what was happening; that Cloud was actually this close…was actually _seducing_ him. But at the moment, none of it mattered; all that mattered was the lithe blonde currently kneeling before him.

Taking a deep breath, Vincent bent down and nipped lightly at his shoulder. Cloud shuddered, and relief as well as excitement coursed through him at the reaction he had caused.

"Then who will punish me…?" inquired Cloud, his voice barely above a whisper. He began trailing his hand lightly up Vincent's chest, teasing. "I have no master… So who would punish a bad little boy like me? You?" Vincent nuzzled his friend's neck.

"No master?" he asked softly. "Think again…you're looking at him." And he bit the smooth skin. Cloud gasped, and breathed out in a moan.

"So you are my master then…?" came his voice, throaty and amused. "How would you punish me then…" he turned his lips to Vincent's ear and murmured, "…Master?"

Vincent shuddered; he couldn't take it anymore; he needed contact and he needed _now_. He turned his head and firmly pressed his lips against Cloud's. Cloud gasped in surprise at the sudden move and he took advantage of the opportunity, thrusting his tongue into the hot cavern and pulling the panting blonde closer.

Cloud's limbs were shaking, but he had just enough strength to lift himself up onto the bed, and Vincent was made painfully aware that Cloud's slim legs were on either side of his waist. He left the blonde's lips, smiling slightly at the whine of loss, a whine that abruptly turned into a soft gasp when he found the blonde's slender throat. Cloud's embrace tightened, his breaths becoming sharp under the Vampire's ministrations.

Vincent wrapped his arms around Cloud's thin waist and nipped at his ear.

"I bet you like being punished," he whispered. Cloud trembled, whimpering softly.

"Only by you," he panted, "…Master." Vincent smirked against his neck.

"Good…because you're the only one I'll ever punish." He pressed a soft, loving kiss on Cloud's neck before proceeding to nip and suck at the supple flesh, leaving behind a quickly reddening hickey. Cloud groaned and rested his forehead against Vincent's shoulder, unknowingly giving him more access.

Vincent took advantage of it and bit down where he had just left the red mark—not enough to break skin, but sufficient enough to cause a guttural moan—before sensuously licking up his blonde companion's tan neck to his jaw.

Cloud sighed softly, nuzzling the brunette's neck tenderly as he finally allowed himself to rest in his lap. He pressed close, pulling a whine from the other's throat. Soon afterwards, his mouth was forced open and was once again being explored by an expert tongue.

Vincent tightened his grip on Cloud's waist, as if to anchor himself. His thoughts were becoming fuzzy; the feel of his former leader against him as he plunged into his sweet, hot mouth felt so surreal, his moans sounded too good to be true. Somewhere in his clouded thoughts, he distantly felt a soft hand trail down his chest towards the waistband of his boxers. Dismissing it to the back of his mind, he licked and nipped at Cloud's bottom lip. It wasn't until he felt the hand slide into his briefs did he stop, his breath caught in his throat. With a pained groan, he realized the little blonde devil was purposefully avoiding the one place he desperately needed him to touch at that very moment.

And then, said devil pressed his soft lips to Vincent's ear and murmured, sighing, "Master…" And with a jolt, he felt nimble fingers brush against his arousal.

Loving the slow torture his light haired friend was placing on him, and yet hating how much control he was under, he pulled Cloud's hand out from his boxers. Keeping a firm hold on the thin wrist, he lowered his other hand towards Cloud's jeans, teasingly running a finger around the rim. When the blonde shuddered under his ministrations, he pulled away, smiling mischievously at the whimper of loss.

"How much would you hate it if I didn't touch you at all?" he breathed, allowing his breath to ghost over Cloud's tanned skin. Cloud groaned unhappily and attempted to draw him back.

"No…" he whimpered. "…Please…" Having the upper hand once again, Vincent felt a smirk grace his lips.

"Hmm… Maybe that's just the kind of punishment you need…"

Cloud whined, pleading, but Vincent didn't move. With a dejected groan, Cloud slowly pulled away. Vincent blinked, surprised and disappointed, but then his crimson eyes widened in disbelief before clouding over with lust; Cloud had begun to touch himself, not wishing to wait in his obviously painfully aroused state.

With a sudden—and skillful—movement, Vincent had flipped them. Cloud gasped as he unexpectedly landed on the bed and, before he knew what had happened, his arms were pulled roughly away from himself and held tightly above his head. He whimpered and gazed up at his captor with glazed blue eyes.

Vincent lowered himself, careful not to touch any part of the blonde he didn't have to, and whispered lowly into his ear, "Naughty little Cloudy…I never said you could do that."

A frustrated whine was his response, and he chuckled lightly. Taking a tousled bed sheet, he wrapped it firmly around Cloud's hands and placed a chaste kiss on his jaw.

"What to do…what to do…" He moved to nuzzle the slender neck even as his hands trailed down the tan chest, laughing as Cloud began to squirm beneath him.

"…Vincent…" The plea was strained, laced with desire and frustration.

Vincent moved from his neck and kissed him. A soft sigh fell from Cloud's lips and he relaxed, causing the dark haired Vampire to smirk into the kiss and bite his bottom lip. He licked the abused lip; Cloud opened his mouth expectantly and he immediately slipped his tongue inside once again.

Cloud arched into him, wanting more contact, and Vincent trailed his hands down his sides. He took hold of Cloud's hips and forced them back down, murmuring admonishments against the blonde's soft lips. In retaliation, Cloud raised his leg and pressed it firmly against the other's crotch, eliciting a surprised gasp.

"Is that how you want to play, Cloudy?" he murmured into the tan neck, smirking as he felt the quick and unsteady pulse, hooking his leg around Cloud's and pulling it back down. Not waiting for a reply, he ground his hips, hard, against the blonde's arousal.

Cloud cried out and threw back his head.

"…Oh god…" he groaned seemingly unaware of his own delirium, his chest heaving and glistening with sweat.

"What's the matter, Cloud?" inquired Vincent, smirking knowingly down at him. Impossibly blue eyes gazed up at him, glazed over, the Mako in them causing them to glow; Cloud opened his mouth to answer, but he couldn't manage one. Vincent leaned back down and whispered into his ear, "Do you like being the uke, Cloudy…?" he bit lightly on a sensitive ear, "Is that it…?"

"Nngh," Cloud looked up at him, attempting to glare, "…d-damn you, V-Vin—ah!!" Sapphire orbs snapped shut, and Vincent smirked in satisfaction as he began to squirm.

Pulling his hand away from Cloud's arousal—much to his disappointment—Vincent ghosted his breath across the tan chest. Cloud whimpered breathlessly, and raised his leg again, but was stopped.

"I…can't t-take…ngh," he panted for breath, turning his face into the sheets, "I…need…" He stopped, and Vincent paused in his ministrations. "…P-please…"

"What do you need, Cloud? What do you need…?" he asked softly, aching for an answer. "What do you want…from me…?" His voice was barely audible, and he doubted that he was heard over his partner's labored breathing.

"…You." He tensed, unprepared for a reply. Cloud continued, "…I need you…" Vincent daren't move; he even stopped breathing, disbelief spreading quickly across his pale face, his crimson eyes wide with hope. "Please…"

Vincent took a deep, shuddering breath and covered Cloud's body with his own.

"…As you wish…"

* * *

Vincent gazed down at the drowsy blonde, affectionately tracing the trail of moonlight on his skin. Gathering him into his arms, he softly pressed his lips to Cloud's ear. 

"I love you, Cloud," he murmured sadly. "More than you will ever know…"

Cloud, who had fallen asleep, sighed contentedly in his slumber and Vincent smiled. Brushing a few blonde strands from his love's face, he lay down, holding the lithe mercenary close. As Cloud curled up against him, seeking warmth, Vincent pulled up the covers and settled in for a long sleep.

* * *

The sun peeked in through the window, landing directly on the face of a certain undead gunman. Vincent growled in protest and turned away, only to find he couldn't. Blinking in bewilderment, he looked down at his side and found a certain spiky haired blonde curled up against him. 

'_What is _Cloud_ doing in my bed…?'_ he wondered, highly confused, sleep quickly leaving him. _'…Not that I'm about to complain…'_ Cloud shifted, interrupting his thoughts and bringing their lack of clothing to attention. A red flush quickly settled upon Vincent's pale cheeks as last night's activities rushed back to him. _'We didn't…'_ Another quick glance about the room confirmed his belief.

"We did…" he breathed, unbelieving.

Before he could dwell on it any longer, Cloud stirred from slumber and slowly sat up, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Every muscle in his body was taut as Vincent readied himself to bolt out of bed—and possibly out of the room altogether.

As if realizing he wasn't sitting in bed alone, Cloud turned his bleary gaze onto the uneasy Vampire. Confusion was evident in the bright blue orbs, a confusion that was slowly replaced by growling alarm. Cloud looked away and stared down at his unclothed self in horror, grabbing the blankets to cover himself a fraction of a second later. His cheeks glowed red as he avoided eye contact with the dark-haired gunman, his grip on the covers so tight his knuckles had turned white.

"We didn't…" he asked finally, his voice choked and small, "…did we?"

"W-well…" Never in his many years of living had he ever heard himself stutter, but he was too mortified by the swordsman's reaction—or lack, thereof—to dwell on it too long. "…W-we, I m-mean…" His voice left him when Cloud finally looked at him.

"…We did, didn't we?"

"…Well, I—" Cloud's expression had changed, but it remained indecipherable to the panicked gunman.

"Yes or no, Vin?" Again, he attempted to answer, his voice dying in his throat before it ever left him.

"…Yes," Vincent replied finally and, before Cloud could reply, he quickly added, "but we can pretend it never did. It'll be for the best, anyway." Vincent felt a heavy weight settle itself upon his chest, the pain in his heart increasing with every word he said, every word he didn't wish to say. "We'll lock it up. No one has to know; in fact, no one _will_ ever know. Last night…never happened."

His heart shattered as those last words fell from his lips, and he stood up, prepared to leave the pain behind. Mako blue eyes widened with an emotion, one Vincent—if he were to delude himself—would have pegged as panic.

"Wait!" Cloud lunged from his seat, grabbed onto him and held on tight, burying his face into the brunette's back. "Don't leave…" he pleaded softly, his voice small, and Vincent ached hearing the blonde sound so lonely, so defeated. "Please don't…"

Vincent placed his larger hand on top Cloud's smaller ones, sighing as he observed the contrast between Cloud's tan and his pale skin.

"…Alright. I won't. I couldn't even if I wanted to," he assured; his voice was just as soft, just as forlorn. "Never, Cloud." _'Not even if you sent me away yourself,'_ he added to himself. _'I couldn't possibly leave you.'_ He felt Cloud's lips lift into a small, relieved smile even as his arms tightened their grip.

"…Thank you."

Vincent shook his head and sighed again. He turned in Cloud's embrace so that he faced his former leader and pressed a tender kiss to his forehead. Cloud closed his eyes and tugged gently, pulling him back to bed. Vincent frowned and shook his head yet again.

"No…Cloud," he said. "I can't…" _'Not after last night…'_

"But why…?" The pained look that came across his face, the hurt confusion that filled his too blue eyes was too much; Vincent felt as if a knife had been plunged into his already shattered heart. Cloud let his arms fall away and held them firmly in his own lap. "…So you just used me…"

The knife turned.

"NO! Never!" Terrified, Vincent grabbed hold of the other's shoulders and forced him to look him in the eye, wanting to make him understand. "_Never_, Cloud. I couldn't ever do that to you. Don't even think that!"

"Then why?" asked Cloud, his voice cracking slightly.

"Because I—" _love you_, he finished to himself, biting his lip. Cloud stared at him expectantly, his eyes unnaturally dull and listless. Closing his eyes briefly as he gathered his thoughts, Vincent drew in a sharp breath and slowly let it out. "I couldn't possibly use you in this way, Cloud. I…care about you too much…and it's _because_ I do…that I can't. I don't want you thinking this is all I want from you, that I'm taking advantage of you…"

His voice drifted off uncertainly, unsure of what to say next and whether his words many any sense at all.

Cloud hadn't moved, but his eyes had brightened as he studied the Vampire before him. Then, he smiled. In that instant, Vincent felt all his insecurities, all his doubts, all his thoughts of unrequited love melt away. He finally understood. Cloud didn't need to say anything right then; his smile said it all and more.

Vincent found himself smiling back. This time, he allowed the lithe blonde to pull him back into bed, feeling, for the first time in a long while, the most content he had ever been.

No…no words were required. That smile was all he needed to know that his feelings were returned. It may be a while—it may even be years—before Cloud would give voice to his feelings. But for now…that smile was enough.

* * *

There is an epilogue coming out soon. I hope very soon. If you liked this, please wait patiently for the next part. I never asked this before, but please review! I want to know how I did on this particular story. Please and thank you! 

--UR


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you all so much for your reviews. I greatly appreciate them!

I put "slight OOC" in the warning…I shouldn't have. I put that there before I wrote the actual story and sort of forgot to change it. They are almost completely OOC, I'll admit, but I think they still remained faithful to their original personalities.

As a request from **Jamaica**, I'll take this time to explain a few things…

1. This is set years after FFVII and FFVII: AC. Cloud and Vincent had moved in together while the rest of AVALANCHE went to pursue their own dreams or pick up their lives where it was left off. Because of being around each other so often, they've opened up to each other. As you'll see in the epilogue, the Vincent and Cloud in "_The Sweetest Temptation for a Forlorn Love_" (now called "_I Think I Love You_"—arigato gozaimasu for the title suggestion, **oneforth**) are almost completely different from the Vincent and Cloud that will appear when they're in public versus when they're alone with each other.

2. I myself am not overly fond of "wimpy uke" Cloud and "super angsty" Vincent (to quote from **Jamaica**, laughs) either and so I found a happy medium for my fanfic.

3. Vincent had fallen in love with Cloud over the years and was convinced Cloud only saw him as a friend. And so…was constantly tortured by the fact he could look but not touch.

4. Cloud had also fallen for his dark-haired companion, but isn't completely aware of it. But he does know he is at least physically attracted to him.

5. When Vincent was watching him, he let down his guard for a split second—long enough for Cloud to decipher the emotions and thoughts behind the gaze. He never intended for things to go quite…that far, for lack of better words, when he made a move on Vincent. But I suppose his heart got caught up in the moment.

6. The next morning, Vincent was completely convinced it was all a dream and that he would awaken to things being as they were the day before. Completely forgetting it was the seductive blonde who had initiated their…night together in the first place, he thought he had given in to his own desires. He feared Cloud would despise him for it, and so he wanted to leave while he still could.

7. Cloud, on the other hand, was overjoyed but confused. When he saw Vincent turn to leave, he panicked.

And thus resulting in what occurred.

Also…it seems I can't write any story without adding at least some fluff into it. I try not to be overly sweet about it because really…it can get to a point where it's not longer appealing and becomes sickening to read, much less write. But I really didn't know how to "tone down" that scene at the end…so I apologize if you think it's a bit too fluffy.

I'm working on the epilogue, don't worry. I'll try to get it up soon. Thanks again for reading and enjoying my story, and I hope you'll enjoy the epilogue just as much or even more so.

Until next time;

---Utsukushii Ryu


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